Welcome

‘The Portrait’
- getting a good likeness -
19th -20th July, 2025 (2 days)
at my Buderim studio - Sunshine Coast
Getting a good likeness of your subject is essential to creating a good lifelike portrait and this workshop will show you how and give you all the tools, skills and techniques to achieve. Proportions, facial features, realistic skin colours and so much more... Two full days to paint, practice and learn under Don's watchful eye and all made much simpler using Don's unique and easy to learn painting methods and techniques.
(All student levels welcome)
Day 1.. 'Exploring, practicing, applying paint'
Let’s get started as we explore the various features of the face (Eyes, ears, nose) to familiarize you enough to create a portrait of your own. Sketch out your ideas and then transfer to canvas and paint your very own ‘portrait fantastic’ where you will apply all that you are learning to your very own painting
Day 2.. 'Create a fantastic lifelike Portrait’
Continue your ‘portrait painting’ with a whole day to complete it. Apply and consolidate all your new learning as we also practice easy mixing of skin colours, better use of mediums and how to get more out of your paint without grief, painting hair, palette knife and brush techniques included and lots more..
You will learn:
- Create a lifelike portrait, (step by step explained)
- Understanding and applying good proportions
- What makes a great portrait and how to achieve it.?
- How to prepare and get started.? (Steps to follow)
- Mixing skin colours, lifelike facial features explained, paint large shapes first
- Essential portrait painting techniques explained, simplified and then applied
- How to interpret photo reference. What to use and what to leave out and why.?
- Don’s easy to learn methods to simplify the process (Step by step)
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Here is what you get:
- Learn the fundamentals of creating a lifelike portrait. (Step by step)
- Your class reference photo
- Mixing skin colours, accurate facial features explained, paint large shapes first
- What makes a great portrait painting & how to achieve it.?
- Don’s easy to learn methods to simplify the process
- Learn how to recognize, capture and paint essential aspects of your subject
- Heaps of one-on-one instruction as student numbers are always limited
- Live in-class painting demonstrations by myself to show you how it’s done
- Better use of materials & equipment
- Heaps of practical painting tips and tricks
- All this and much, much more...
* Conducted at my home/studio which offers great natural light for painting
* I supply morning & afternoon tea & coffee with delicious snacks & treats.. Yumm.!
